‘Can you tell us why men cry?’
That was what judges asked Midhun aka Matt Pius.
The fair, good-looking model stood on the stage in Dubai looking absolutely confident and why not? Midhun akka Matt Pius, one of the few models to have made a mark internationally, had reached the Mr Dubai contest on his own steam from the small town of Angamaly without any godfather, armed only with the willingness to work hard.
Confident as he was, the question that the judge threw at him left him flummoxed- Why do men mainly cry? Though the question caught Matt unawares, he gathered his wits and answered, "Men do cry but do not show it outwardly; they prefer to cry inwardly and that is how a real man is!" The judges were pleased and he clinched the second runner-up title in the competition. This achievement is no mean feat considering that Dubai is a global potpourri of different nationalities. Midhun did not become Matt to add to his International model apeal, “I did not change my name intentionally but my name was mispronounced in Dubai.”
“Also my church name is Matthew so I shortened it to Matt!” Talking about the contest, he says, “It was very tough competing with models from different nationalities because Dubai is a global hub. Clearing the audition itself was a challenging task and it was like competing in a Mr. World competition. I strongly held on to the belief that unless I had something unique to offer, I would not even be noticed!’’ Incidentally, Matt also won the Best Performer for the Formal and Beach wear round.
The road to fame was not an easy one. By the time Matt was doing his degree, he had decided to take up modelling as a serious career. Matt though realised that Mumbai was where all the big modelling breaks happened and since he had already finished a course in International Hospitality, he found a job in Mumbai. Once he reached there, he found that it was a case of survival of the fittest.
He reveals, “The Mumbai fashion world is insanely competitive! Every youngster focuses on modelling and is very cut throat. I did not realise it initially and did not have the budget for a proper portfolio so I made the round of designers asking for work. Every time an audition was held there were hundreds of models present; the scene was completely different from Kerala.’’
But Matt had one big ace up his sleeve thanks to his genes. He says,”My fair looks stood me in good stead; many people did not believe that I was a South Indian and many even questioned me about my fair looks which I think could be because of a Portuguese ancestor. My looks passed muster and found approval which was a big advantage.’’ Meanwhile he was also working at a hotel and though he found it tough to balance his long hours with sessions in the gym and modelling, he managed the gruelling pace.
The desire to reach higher prompted Matt to move to Dubai, again finding work as a host which he still does. The modelling scene in the international fashion hub was even tougher and Matt reveals, “I never expected to click there because you have a lot of International models. The Russians, Arabs and European models are very good looking and tall. Also there is a disparity in the payments based on the nationality so it is always better to approach through an agency like I did. I also learnt on the job with each modelling experience making me better regarding the poses and expressions’’. Modelling is one of the very few areas where female models hold the upper hand and Matt says, “Yes, offers that male models get are lesser as compared to female models but that is because most of the brands are for women. But there is a gradual change in the trend though there is a huge difference in the payment too. Abroad there is more equality because modelling offers come through agencies.’’
Matt does have Mollywod tinsel dreams but his answer surprises, “I could have got into films if I wanted to but I want to debut in a villain’s role. I am not interested in playing the hero.” Before he concludes Matt quips, “Yes, I do cry when I am emotionally charged.”
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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